Chapter 17
Seventeen Forever
Eli dropped Clare off at her house,and sped off. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to talk to his mom. He just wanted to go somewhere, anywhere. He drove around for hours. He finally stopped at the local super market. He parked his hearse and walked into the grocery store. He found himself going down the kids toy isle,where you'd find little strange things,like whoopi cushions,silly putty,beanie babies,plastic tiaras.
He laughed picking up a plastic blue stoned tiara,thinking how they left before prom queen was announced. He tried to get his mind off of what he found out,but he couldn't focus. He figured he'd better head home,before his mother started to worry. He turned his cell phone on,finding 5 missed calls from his mother. He rolled his eyes and continued driving home.
Eli sat on his bed. He shut his lab top,and sighed as he fell back staring at the ceiling. His bow tie hung off his neck,and his hair was wet from the rain.
"So,I take it I interrupted a moment tonight? Why are you home at 2:30 in the morning?" His mother walked into his room,holding a hair dryer. "They found another donor.." Eli pressed his forehead with a yawn. His mother calmed down and sat on his bed. "That's a good thing." She said. "I just..." He looked away,as he started nearing tears.
"Like,by her writing,everything she felt,I did. Then I found out she was dying,and thought for sure I'd inherit Henry's heart whatever. I couldn't help falling for her." He rolled his eyes. "Since I was 15,I only planned on 18 years,now I'm scared Mom. I don't want to spend those years without her."
"What if something goes wrong? What if they can't fix her,what if she stops feeling like this towards me?" He shook his head. "I told her I loved her,and she didn't give me a solid answer,who am I kidding!" He shut his eyes one last time. "I don't know baby boy,maybe she's afraid. Maybe she's scared you're going to leave. Maybe you should dry your hair." She said and handed him the hairdryer. That wasn't helpful in the least.
"A little rain water can't kill me... " He paused "Tell me who my real dad is?" His mother bit her bottom lip and lowered her head. "I can't,because I don't know myself." Eli shook his head. "I can't love Dad,Henry any less,because he was a father to me,and it really sucks that I was a sorry excuse for a son." His mother left his room,leaving Eli to think,and reach for his little black book,which he didn't have because he had leant it to Clare.
Clare sat in her bed,nestled in her lavender comforter. She took out her diary and crossed out some items on her list. "What you doing up,little sis?" Clare smiled. "When did you get in?" Her older sister Darcy threw her duffle bag on the floor and ran to hug her little sister. "My flight got in just a few hours ago." She smiled. "You look great,you've really grown up." Clare nodded.
"What are you doing here?" Clare sat up from her bed,and tossed her diary on the floor. Her sister opened her mouth to speak. "Clare,I think you know why I'm here." She said ,causing Clare to jump from her bed. "No! It's you,you're the donor?" Clare couldn't believe it. "I left you,just as everything hit here. I went to help people overseas,and don't get me wrong that was great,and a really rewarding experience,but I missed you guys every day. When Mom told me that we were running out of options,I volunteered. I'm a match. I'm going through with the procedure tomorrow,you're going to live a wonderful long life and..." Clare stopped her,and just hugged her.
"I've missed you" She cried into her jacket. "I missed you too." Clare picked up her diary. "remember you gave me this?" She moved the key. "yes,I do." Clare smiled. "Darcy,Do you remember when you told me that if I ever fell in love,you'd want to be the first to know?" She smiled. "yeah,are you in love,little sis?" She asked curiously.
Clare nodded. "yeah,I'm really in love and I just have to tell someone!" She jumped up from the bed. "beep beep beep" She smiled,shutting her eyes lightly. "The only problem is...I haven't told him yet." Darcy smiled. "Well get on that!" She urged. "So,who's the lucky guy?" Clare smiled. "Eli"
"Darce,it was beautiful,magnificent you should of seen the entire prom outside as he kissed me in the rain on the football field. I'm so in love with him. I don't really know what to say,or do. I just know I wanna be with him,and nothing else matters." She giggled,and smiled ear to ear. "I'm so happy for you,little sis." Darcy hugged her again.
Eli woke up the next morning,after having a dream. "Well,I'm going to the chapel and I'm going to get married." He laughed. "stupid records." He smirked,realizing his record player was on all night. "That explains that dream..." He laughed,and sat up from bed. "I'm in love with a girl with a fatal heart condition. I just found out my dad that died isn't,wasn't my biological one. I'm not dying,now I have to get a fricken job." He groaned,and pulled a pillow over his face,letting out a scream. He yawned and then headed into the shower,sudzing up and singing...
"Because we're going to the chapel and we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel and we're, gonna get married.
Gee, I really love you and we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel of love." He cracked himself with a bar of soap.
"Well I'm screwed,and I really should stop talking to myself in the shower." Eli said,putting down the lufa he was singing into.
Meanwhile,
Clare was also taking a shower. She giggled.
"That it's coming from my heart and not my head
I love you I honestly love you. I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm not trying to make you anything at all. But this feeling doesn't come along everyday, and you shouldn't blow the chance When you've got the chance to say I love you, I honestly love you."
"How do I tell him that?" She turned the shower off and stepped out onto a towel on the tile floor. She towel dried her hair. Then sectioned her hair for her hair rollers. "Elijah Goldsworthy,I love you." "Elijah Goldsworthy I fancy you."
"Eli Goldsworthy,I want to marry you." She rolled her eyes,as she practiced what she was going to say to Eli. "Ooh someone's in love." Darcy laughed, walking into the bathroom. "you going to be long? I really want to shower." Clare smiled. "I forgot how we used to share a bathroom." She moved her makeup mirror,turning on the light. "hmm freshly manicured nails,curled hair,shaved legs...and makeup, hmm someone's getting dolled up for someone." Darcy smiled.
"Little Clare has a date." She teased. Clare looked away to hide the blush on her face. "I'm going to tell him I love him." She fluffed up her hair with her boar bristle brush.
"Ding dong!" Clare set her hairbrush down,and went to get the door. She slowly made it down the steps,as the doorbell repeatedly rang. "I'm coming,I'm coming! Hold your horses!" She groaned,pulling her fluffy pink robe tightly.
"Clare!" It was Adam! "Clare,uh you're not answering your phone." Clare rolled her eyes. "that's cause I changed the number." She sighed angrily, opening the door. Adam rushed quickly in.
"Clare,Eli's hiding something,okay. There are some guys at Lakehurst saying...that he was involved in a hit and run. That he killed his ex!" Those words caused Clare to jump back. "Adam get out of my house!" She didn't care to listen to it. "Why won't you listen to me?" Adam yelled.
"You tried to break us up. He's going to explain what happened after prom last night. I know he will,when he's ready to. I'm not going to listen to this,so do us both a favor and leave!" Adam rolled his eyes and went for the door.
"Don't say, I didn't try to warn you." Adam went out the door.
A few minutes later,the doorbell rang again. Clare rolled her eyes as she went to the door. "Adam,please don't tell me anymore lies!" Clare opened the door,a mean expression on her face. It quickly changed.
"Clare?" Eli stood at her front door,holding a plastic tiara. "Can I come in?" Clare nodded. "I know you probably have a lot of questions about why we left prom before the prom queen was announced,and why..."
"Adam just walked into my house saying you killed your ex?" Clare finished. Eli swallowed and sat on the sofa. "None of that matters,because..." She was interrupted.
Baby Blue,my mom told me that my dad,well the guy I thought was my dad wasn't." Clare's mouth dropped open. "I heard you say,not dying in those words,so who's not dying?"
Eli swallowed again,loosening up his skinny tie nervously. "me" He said under his breath. Clare's eyes opened wide. "um..." Clare stuttered.
"I may not have been entirely honest with you..." Clare could feel her fragile heart,breaking even more. "About what?" She asked,afraid of the answer.
"I thought I'd inherit my dad's heart disease,but he's not my biological dad." Clare listened attentively. "O,Oh" She stuttered again. "So you became my friend because you thought we were both dying?" "Clare,it's not like that..."
"I have no words." Clare said,holding onto her pink fluffy bathrobe,which she was naked underneath.
"So that's why you took it so well that I was dying." Clare said softly as her words boarder lined sadness.
"well,yes,but I fell in love with you,and now none of that matters,because you're going to be okay,and I'm too." Clare furrowed her brows and closed her eyes. "I need a few days to process what you just told me." She held her robe and walked up the stairs.
Eli took out a piece of lined paper and wrote on it.
"I'm sorry Clare. I really hope this doesn't change how you feel about me,if you feel anything for me at all. Here, sorry we missed the crowning of prom queen,if it means anything,you're my prom queen."
He put the crown on top of the note on the glass coffee table,catching a tear as he went out the door.
Clare picked up her telephone and called Ally. "So he thought he had a fatal disease,when you had one?" Ally tried to understand. "Wow,Clare that's like something out of a sci fi romance novel." Clare frowned. "At least,now I know why he took it so well,but honestly Ally. I don't know if this changes anything. Then Adam coming over here..." Clare started crying. "What do I do,now?" She asked.
Ally blew out a breath. "baby you have to ask yourself that." That didn't really help. Clare reached under her bed for her journal,pulling "The painful existence of Elijah Goldsworthy" out instead. "I forgot,I had this" She said,her lip quivering. "beep beep beep" Her heart raced as she read through it. She stopped at a page,the last page he wrote in it before he leant it to her.
"Oh my God" She said in disbelief,and jumped up from her bed. She hung up the phone. It,then started to ring off the hook,but Clare ignored it. "Clare?" Darcy knocked on the door. "Someone left this for you." Darcy sat the note and the tiara down on her bed. She read the note,and cried,when she realized it didn't change anything. She was in love with Eli,and nothing could change that.
"I have to get dressed and I have to find him!" Clare smiled,her hands shaking. "beep beep beep beep" Darcy held her shoulders. "baby you have to calm down." Clare shook her head. "one more night with this heart,and I'm hoping,the new one loves him just as much,maybe even more." She grabbed lacy undergarments,and a blue dress,frantically hopping to put her heels on,stomping on the carpet trying to find the holes in her ears for earrings. "beep beep beep beep"
She put the crown on her head,grabbing a jean jacket. She pummeled down the stairs,holding the little black journal in her hand. "Clare,where are you going? Slow down!" Darcy yelled. "I have to go somewhere." Clare said vaguely. She caught her breath,attempting to steady her breathing.
She got to the end of the street,fetching a cab,asking the driver to take her to an old dirt road. She knew that, that's where she would find Eli. She paid the caber and climbed out,walking down the dirt road,as it started to rain slightly. She couldn't see,she didn't have her contacts on. She squinted her eyes,trying to make out what was in front of here.
"Eli!" She yelled,reaching a black hearse. "yes,baby blue." Eli hopped off the hood of his car. "How did you know where to find me?" Clare smiled. "I know you." She leaned against the car. "I know your favorite color is black,and you listen to old time music to fall asleep. I know your favorite movie is the never ending story,and you like mint chocolate chip ice cream. I know you tried to commit suicide after your dad died,and you drive a hearse just to feel close to him. I know you're an extremely good kisser,and you have a tattoo of a rabbit on your back,because well you got very drunk one night and ..." Eli smirked. "you actually read it." She smiled.
"I'm dying. It could be weeks before they give me the diagnosis. I found something that makes life worth living,someone as depressed and twisted as I'm,someone who spent every holiday with her dad at the harbor behind my house,where I remember looking out the window seeing her,but she didn't see me. Now she finally is."
"You're wrong. I did see you." Eli smirked. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you read that." He smirked at the tiara. "Someones feeling like a princess,today."
He took her hand. "You watched the fireworks here every year,why did you stop? I thought you moved away." Clare smiled. "When everyone found out,and I developed this thing 2 years ago,no one wanted to celebrate anymore. Dad was afraid that the fire works would scare me." Eli frowned.
"I always looked forward to seeing you..." Clare stopped him. "Mr Discreet,when I had glasses,I saw you outside that balcony. To think you took me here,and I don't even recognize this place anymore."
Eli smirked.
"The harbor is down here,baby blue." He walked her to the sandy area behind a large mansion. "You could of waded your feet in this lovely body of water,but nope your chose a puddle." He laughed.
"So you come here a lot..." Clare started. "yup,baby blue this used to be home."
Clare smiled,as they sat in the sand,looking out. "I love you." Clare said,causing Eli to turn his head. "you do?" "I really tried not to." She started to ramble,instead Eli pulled her in for a kiss. He broke from her. "just want to tell you that all of my ex's are alive,incase you had that going through your head." Clare shook her head,as they resumed kissing. Clare reached her arms up around Eli's neck,as his tongue entered her mouth. She gasped. "beep beep beep" as the kissing sped up and they softly rolled onto the sand,her tiara falling off.
"I want you,I do..but," Clare breathed. "beep beep beep beep beep" Clare's monitor beeped out of control,as she passed out in the sand. Eli laid next to her,waiting for her to come too. When she didn't. He freaked out,picking her up and running with her to his car. "Clare,baby wake up,please wake up." She was breathing faintly,when they got to the hospital.
to be continued...
All that romance and a cliff hanger. :) You know you love me :) haha :) Review xoxo x3